Reality TV show connects adopted Louisiana woman to her biological family
SHREVEPORT, La. (KTAL/KMSS) – Precious McCray lives in downtown Baton Rouge, but lately she has found herself in very unexpected places thanks to a reality television show that's helping her find her biological family.
“My best friend of 20+ years, we even share the same name, she knew I always wanted to find my biological family. She saw an ad on TikTok and went ahead and filled it all out for me. Then she was like, ‘So, I did a thing…’”
That "thing" changed the course of McCray's life.
“I was like, ‘what did you do?’ and she was like, ‘I filled out an application for you to find your biological family, but you have to submit a YouTube interview in order to be placed.’”
Then McCray's dear friend dropped another bomb.
“The deadline is tonight.”
“I was like, ‘You know me. I’m doing it,” said McCray with a laugh.
Precious is selected for Season 14 of Relative Race
Months later, McCray was shocked to hear she made it onto the new season of Relative Race, a reality show on the BYUTV that takes four teams on a life-changing journey to find their long-lost relatives.
McCray is on Team Red for season 14 of the series, where she travels around the country to meet her biological family—including across Louisiana and to Hawaii. But along the way, Team Red must compete in a series of challenges before receiving more information that will lead them to their biological families.
“It felt like April 1 to me,” said McCray. “I felt like I was being pranked all the way through until I got the call back that it was real.”
But McCray was only just beginning on an adventure filled with reality checks.
McCray was raised in Baton Rouge. “It was crazy! I’ve been here my whole life, and I’ve never seen these people. One of my great aunts looked vaguely familiar, and I was like, ‘I think I’ve seen you somewhere before.’”
McCray did find members of her family through the show. “I found my aunt and sister, and more than that, but I can’t tell you more than that...”
She knew no members of her biological family before the show.
“Emotionally, it has been very freeing because I’ve struggled with duality if you will—nature vs. nurture. I’ve always been one way, and I’ve always been raised in another way. The way I’ve been is who I truly am. I make sense now,” McCray said.
If you are thinking about searching for your biological family, McCray has some advice for you.
“Protect your heart and protect your mind. Mentally prepare yourself for the journey you’re about to go on before you even start it. Create scenarios of how things can go the worst way they can go. And then create scenarios of the best way it could go,” she advised.
She said you’ve got to coach yourself until you’re able to handle whatever happens.
“Be grateful for where you are, even without them. And go through Relative Race so they can help you (find them.)”
Precious said her family has loved her and raised her well. But meeting her biological family has seemed surreal.
“I’m still getting to know them as people to learn who they are and learning to love the things about them that make them so unique.”
If you'd like to know more of this Louisiana gal's story, watch McCray find members of her biological family on season 14 of Relative Race. But make sure to have a box of tissues nearby when you watch, because the entire season is an emotional journey for everyone involved in the race.